Your questions, answered

You can enroll at azulwells.com/retirement-sprint. The Sprint starts Monday, October 19 and runs for four weeks. Enrollment closes Sunday, October 18 at midnight Pacific.

Yes, we'll share them.

Azul leads it. Will Mannon and Dan Sleeman are building the course alongside him, and they bring years of experience building similar programs. You’ll be in safe hands!

It's for you if:

• You're over 50 and want real clarity on when you can retire.
• You want to build and understand your own plan, but would like professional help.
• You have plenty of information (accounts, calculators, opinions) but no single written plan.
• You're willing to do the work, test assumptions, and bring a spouse or partner.

It's probably not for you if:

• You want stock picks, product recommendations, or individualized financial advice.
• You want Azul or a tool to make every decision for you.
• You can't set aside roughly 20 hours across the four weeks.
• You mainly want permission to retire without doing the planning work.

No. Azul came out of retirement to teach this Sprint, but he won't be anyone's individual financial advisor. The Sprint doesn't include individual financial advice, discussion of specific investments, or investment recommendations. It teaches you how to build and understand your own plan.

If you have a plan you've dialed in and trust, you probably don't need a class like this. If you've been meaning to get around to building your own plan, you could benefit a lot.

Azul's main value is his frameworks, such as how he thinks about 4% versus 6% withdrawals and an 80% versus 95% likelihood of success. We'll also keep you accountable, help you see your plan in a new way, and let you learn from others going through the same process. If you're happy with where you are after the first week, that's okay too.

Some people do use a different tool, and it can be useful to see how a second tool analyzes your numbers. You'll get the most out of the Sprint if you use Boldin along with everyone else, because the teaching and the coaching are built around it.

Yes. Week 2, "Picture Your Retirement," covers income, Social Security, pensions, spending, healthcare before and after 65, and one-time expenses.

• Week 1, Where You Stand and What Matters Most: getting your assumptions, assets, debts, and real estate into Boldin.
• Week 2, Picture Your Retirement: income, Social Security, pensions, spending, healthcare (including Medicare and long-term care), and one-time expenses.
• Week 3, Put Your Plan to the Test: 4% versus 6% withdrawals, withdrawal order, capital gains versus ordinary income, RMDs, IRMAA, Roth conversions, Social Security claiming ages, and taxes.
• Week 4, Chart Your Course: plan review, guardrails, scenarios, and when to involve a CPA or advisor.
• Final Session, The View from Here.

Yes. About halfway through the Sprint there's a spousal alignment workshop, and your spouse is welcome to attend. Spouses each write a short letter about what a great retirement looks like and share it with each other. Azul's wife, Linda, joins too.

Yes. You can keep your details as confidential as you like. We'll never ask you to share anything you're not comfortable sharing.

Yes. We have a Circle community, and we'll also have small local groups, so you can connect with people from your area.

Not at this stage, but maybe in the future.

• Gold: $997 (the founding cohort price)
• Platinum: $2,997
• Elite: $9,997

If you join at Gold and decide later you'd like more access, you can add on Platinum for an additional $2,000.

• Gold: four weeks of live Monday sessions with Azul, the Final Session, and group Boldin coaching on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
• Platinum: everything in Gold, plus small-group Friday sessions with Azul (up to 20 people per group), so you have access to Azul every week of the Sprint.
• Elite: everything in Platinum, plus one-on-one time with Azul once a week, scheduled in advance.

No package includes individual financial advice.

Join the Sprint and attend the first week. If it isn't right for you, email support@azulwells.com by the end of day five (Friday, October 23, 11:59 PM PT) and we'll refund your money. No questions asked.

No.

Not at the moment.

No, there's no ongoing cost for the Sprint. The annual Boldin subscription is separate and isn't included.

That depends on your situation, so please check with a tax professional in your area.

Everyone who enrolls gets:

• An extended Boldin trial (4 weeks instead of the usual 2)
• A spousal alignment workshop, about halfway through the Sprint
• A "New Year, New You" group session in early January

Yes, you'll get all of them.

Yes. Just email us at support@azulwells.com and we'll take care of it.

We don't have an official limit right now. Depending on how many people sign up, we may need to add a ceiling.

Azul thinks we'll run it again, but nothing is confirmed. The founding cohort price is the lowest it will be for the live Sprint.

Monday sessions run from 4:00 to 5:30pm ET (1:00 to 2:30pm PT) for four weeks, starting October 19. Each one includes short written exercises and two chances to talk with other attendees in small groups of three. The Final Session is on Friday, November 13 at 4:00pm ET.

Yes. Recordings are shared shortly after each session (within 24 hours, and usually much sooner), along with highlights and snippets. You'll have access to the recordings for 90 days after the Sprint ends.

Parts of them will be, but not all.

We think it can still be very valuable. The biggest single outcome of the Sprint is getting your plan built.

No. All of the required work happens during the sessions and afterward. Each week also comes with an assignment alongside your Boldin work. For example, in Week 1 you'll write a letter from your 80-year-old self.

We'll share full onboarding details before the Sprint begins.

They're group sessions led by Boldin's official coaches, and they're open to everyone. Each week has a theme. The coaches start by walking through, on screen, how to enter what Azul covered on Monday into your plan, and then they take your questions.

Yes. Each week the coaches go over common mistakes, and the second half of each session is open for Q&A.

Coaching runs Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, at the same times each week (all times ET):

• Tuesday: 12:00pm and 4:00pm
• Wednesday: 10:00am and 7:00pm
• Thursday: 1:00pm and 6:00pm

You'll find the confirmed times on the Sprint calendar.

Yes, as many as you like. Azul would be delighted if you made good use of the coaches.

There are evening coaching sessions. If none of the times work for you, we'll add another session to fit. We may add a weekend session if we need to.

• Boldin coaching sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (all packages)
• Friday sessions with Azul (Platinum and Elite)
• One-on-one time with Azul (Elite)
• The Circle community, where you can share reflections and get feedback from peers
• Questions you can submit outside the group sessions
• support@azulwells.com

You can, but we'd recommend using the coaches who are available to you as part of the Sprint.

Your enrollment includes a special extended trial of Boldin: 4 weeks instead of the usual 2. We negotiated this directly with Boldin's CEO. The annual Boldin subscription isn't included. When you enroll, you'll get details on how to access the extended trial.

Boldin's standard trial is two weeks. Sprint participants get four weeks. Boldin will email you your cancel date, and the last day to cancel is four weeks after you start your trial.

Yes, you can use your own account.

Boldin sets its own pricing, discount codes, and plan options, so we're gathering these questions to confirm with the Boldin team. We'll pass along what we learn.

Yes. Your plan is yours to keep working with, using your own Boldin subscription.

• Does the Sprint cover taxes, including capital gains versus ordinary income, RMDs, and IRMAA?
• Does it cover Roth conversions?
• How do I reallocate my investments without triggering capital gains?
• How do I turn my nest egg into income?
• What is the 3-bucket rule, and how should I think about mutual funds versus individual stocks?
• How should I think about asset allocation if I have a pension floor?
• What are the pros and cons of fixed index annuities?

• Does the Sprint cover Social Security claiming?
• Is Social Security safe?
• What is the widow's penalty, and how do I plan for it?
• How do the spousal benefit rules work?
• Should a couple plan as one unit or separately?

• Does the Sprint cover healthcare costs and Medicare?
• Is there a Medicare specialist, or a chapter or book I can read?
• How do I estimate healthcare and long-term care costs?
• How do I manage income and coverage before Medicare begins at 65?

• Can I catch up if I'm starting after 55, or retire early in my 50s?
• Which risks should I prioritize?
• What happens when inflation and a falling market hit at the same time?
• How do I plan for philanthropy?

• How do I stress-test a plan my advisor gave me?
• How do I tell my planner I'll be using Boldin?
• Should I stay with my current planner?
• Why isn't my advisor's fee shown in my plan?
• How many clients is too many for an advisor?

Some of you asked about specific situations. Because the Sprint doesn't include individual financial advice, we'll focus on the frameworks that help you work through questions like these for yourself.

• How should I think about moving part of my 401(k) into bonds or T-bills?
• How do I know whether my stock allocation is too high going into retirement?
• How do I think through a Roth conversion for my own case?
• How does Social Security work for a family member with a disability?
• How do Social Security benefits work from an ex-spouse?
• How should I think about when to claim Social Security in my situation?